Inrushes of the Heart: The Sufi Philosophy of ʿAyn al-Qudat

Mohammed Rustom
Paperback, 400 pages
9781438494289

Inrushes of the Heart delves deeply into the life and thought of 'Ayn al-Qudat Hamadānī (d. 525/1131), a major Muslim philosopher, Sufi master, and religious judge who was executed by the Seljuq government at the age of thirty-four. Mohammed Rustom presents nearly eight hundred passages in translation (most of which appear here for the first time in English) from 'Ayn al-Qudat's Arabic and Persian writings alongside a step-by-step commentary that outlines every major theme that guides his worldview. Contextualizing 'Ayn al-Qudat's life, influence, and self-perception as a teacher and scholar extraordinaire, the book then carefully unpacks his highly original teachings on God, cosmology, human agency, spiritual practice, imagination, death, knowledge, scripture, beauty, and love.